Monday, 6 May 2019

Hello my sweet friends! Isn't that photo of the ducks just too cute? I found it on the Internet somewhere.

I have been missing here in Blogland and I wish I could say I have been on a cruise or something fun, but I have been ill off and on since early April. As soon as I feel better, I will be back with a post. Meanwhile, take care and God bless you all!

Wednesday, 17 April 2019

At Easter time the flowers bloomThe skies are bright and blueThe world's as joyous as can beSo is my thought of you. ~ Author unknownHello dear friends and Happy Easter!

I have been blogging for a long time; ten and a half years, actually. During that time, I have hosted many tea parties. These are a few of the settings from over those years. I hope you enjoy.

My beloved Rose Chintz coffee pot from my Auntie P. I have several cloches too and under this one is a bunny and a bird's nest my son found for me years ago.

This one is from last year when I used the darling bunny and basket I had won from an artist friend, Celeste, who lives in Texas. Just a wee peek at my favourite table cloth from my friend Bernideen. The pretty dessert is a recipe another aunt gave me; Banana Split Cake. Most of my recipes you can find on my sidebar under Search This Blog.

My aunt and uncle had sent me those little chicks so I used them in this setting.

This yummy dessert is Sudden Pudding/Baked Caramel Pudding. I am using a Royal Albert teapot and teacup.

Yellow tulips, a hydrangea wreath I made, home made coconut cake, and different makers of china are joined by some bunnies for this one.

Three mini cakes; two adorned with Easter eggs and a third with a carnation from a bouquet.

While we're at it, why not enjoy a tea sandwich too? These are chicken salad on white bread and peach chutney on cream cheese, whole wheat bread rounds.

It's not the tea that makes teatime special, it's the spirit of the tea party. ~ Emilie Barnes, "If Teacups Could Talk."

My final setting, some lovely pink and yellow tulips are the centrepiece for this table.

I miss my virtual Tea Time Tuesday parties and No Place Like Home parties. I stopped mine for health reasons as many of you know. Have you noticed how few Tea/Home parties there are now? It's rather sad!

Moving on...

What does Easter mean to you? As a little girl, Peter Cottontail hopping down the bunny trail was really what I cared about. Of course my parents indulged my brother and me with pretty Easter baskets filled with chocolate, marshmallow and coloured eggs. We were never disappointed. But as time went by, Easter took on a whole new meaning!

I still enjoy the lovely pastel colours of Easter, the bunnies and chicks. Obviously, I enjoy decorating with them too. However, Easter is really a celebration of a more serious nature.

Easter is akin to Christmas... The celebration began in remembrance of our Saviour and Lord Jesus. At Christmastime, we celebrate His coming as a Babe in the stable so long ago. At Easter time, we celebrate His death and resurrection. Because He lives!....and the good news is, He's coming again!"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." ~ John 3:16

I wish you all a lovely and Happy Easter during this holy week. May the Lord bless you and your loved ones!

Saturday, 13 April 2019

Hello dear friends! I have some luscious shades of blue to share with you today. Isn't the hydrangea simply gorgeous? I love the petals, as delicate as butterfly wings in varying shades of blue.

I have tucked a little bird's nest into it, just because. The little twigs accompanied the nest when my son found it for me.

This bird's nest was once home to a red-eyed vireo.

I have been sick with the flu bug this past week. Actually, it really started two weeks ago with headaches. I generally don't have trouble with headaches and I have been mostly housebound but this too will soon pass.

Tea today is with lemon. I've been drinking gallons of lemon water and lemon ginger tea.

Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book. ~ Bill Watterson

It is raining here today although it is mild. For me, it's a good day to stay put.

Tea with lemon.

Flowers, books and tea, what could be better when one is down with a bug?When you have flowers, books and tea, you are never alone. ~ Alexandra Stoddard

My ChurchillBlue Willow teapot and Johnson Brothers Blue Willow teacup are being put to use today as well as this Enoch Wedgwood teacup which depicts Royal Homes of Britain.

Friday, 5 April 2019

Spring had come once more to Green Gables - the beautiful, capricious Canadian spring, lingering along through April and May in a succession of sweet, fresh, chilly days, with pink sunsets and miracles of resurrection and growth. ~ L M Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables

Well, here we are in the merry month of April. Are you glad it's April? I certainly am and I look forward to the earth waking up this month. The grass turning green, a few flowers poking up from the ground, and other delightful surprises await us after the long cold winter. I'm not sorry to see winter come to an end. No, not for a moment.We had a wicked storm overnight on Wednesday into Thursday with hurricane force winds. The wind just about uprooted our bird feeder but Hubby put it back in place when he got home from work. Today, the wind is much calmer and the goldfinches are happily filling their tummies. I love springtime!Looking out our kitchen window the other day, we noticed the little brook behind our house was running freely. We also saw a little bunny in our neighbour's back yard feasting on something tasty. This was the best shot I could get because he was a distance away but you can see a few brown patches on his white fur.

Soon he will be completely brown and we will not recognize him when he visits the back yard again. There are a few bunny rabbits around. The next day he was in our back yard but our next door neighbour's dog started barking and scared our little bunny away. Thankfully, the bunny has been back several times so he braved the barking of the dog. I am so glad we live on the outskirts of the city where we are only five minutes from the shops but nature abounds in our neighbourhood.I don't share a lot about my family but March brought some wonderful surprises our way.Two of my grandchildren won medals in their competitions. Zachary won a gold medal in Jiu Jitsu. He is the little guy in the middle.

His little sister Jenna-Lynn won silver with her team in gymnastics/cheer leading. She is the little girl on the far left holding hands with the girl at the top.

These little sprigs are my middle son's children. I love how family traits are carried from one generation to another. My thirteen year old grandson drew this picture the other day. He also plays football.

My youngest son just bought his first home and he's pretty excited!

He left home at eighteen to follow his dream of becoming a Math professor. He began his formal education in Alberta, far from home. After that he went to U of T and then his post doc took him to the US. Last year he achieved his goal by becoming Assistant Professor. He and his little family will be moving into their first home as soon as it is completed. My son has worked very hard for this and we are thrilled for him! He also has a birthday coming up next week; Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

Our oldest boy, who has been suffering with that bad concussion, went out to the beach to take a walk on Sunday. It was the first warm stretch of weather we've had although I dare say it wasn't overly warm out on the North Shore. He came across this lovely piece of driftwood on his walk.

He is coming along but he's still experiencing some rather unpleasant issues. Unfortunately, he will go back to work next week because his benefits have not kicked in yet and he has a family to care for. Other things may change us but we start and end with Family. Family is everything! ~ unknownMy beloved auntie had her picture taken last week by my cousin. Doesn't she look lovely! I'm hoping to visit my auntie this summer. We live in different provinces so I don't see her as often as I like. Miss you, Auntie P!

Before I go, I will pour some tea. I made a cottage pudding yesterday with a nice warm sauce over it. One of my bunnies is joining me. Would you care to join me too?

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely. ~ Roald DahlSharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Monday, 25 March 2019

Spring is finally here on PEI and with the mild temperatures, the snow is going down quickly. Soon it will all be melted into the ground.

I love tulips and these are so pretty! They are the same shade of pink as the vase they're in; a delicate blush pink. Underneath is a pink damask tablecloth with spring tulips on it, setting the stage for tea today.I decided today would be a good day to have a savoury and a sweet. I feel like celebrating after the very long winter we've had.

We are having egg salad sandwiches and cake for tea. I call this my 'skimpy' cake because it didn't rise as high as I would like.

Perhaps a bit of egg yolk escaped into the whites, although I didn't see any. No matter, the cake still tastes good and I sandwiched the layers together with lemon curd.

The Hampstead teapot looks like it is leaning into the cake but it isn't. I like how well my Aynsley teacup matches it. This sweet teapot I found last summer at our Anne of Green Gables store in Charlottetown and I fell in love with it. I have quite a collection of teapots so I gave two pots away to make room for this beauty.

From a whimsical child's teapot to an elegant English teapot, to collectible teapots that adorn some homes, they are a subtle reminder of all that is good in this world. ~ Barbara RobertsThis set is Royal Albert.

Egg salad is one of my favourite tea sandwiches and I haven't had one in a while so I decided to make them today. Hubby took some for his lunch. The crusts were still on his but I like to trim the crusts for tea time, don't you?

Tea is a meal for all seasons; it's also suitable for all occasions. ~ Angela Hynes

Spring is here so one of my sheep is joining us. Perhaps my bunnies will make an appearance next time.

We had some rain over the weekend and today we had a little snow but it won't last long. The farmers like this late snowfall as they claim it is good fertilizer for the ground. We like to see our farmers happy.I would like you all to know, dear friends, that your prayers have helped because my son is beginning to feel better. He still has some vertigo and some terrible migraines and he's still not ready to go back to work but he's come a long way from where he was five weeks ago. The CT scan showed that all is well so we thank God for that. It has turned into a beautiful sunny day and the birdies are busy at the feeder. Yesterday I saw some grackles and a couple of robins. Hubby saw a sparrow so I know that Spring really is here. I expect all the songbirds will be back in another week or so. Don't you just love this time of year?Thank you for your visit today and God bless you and your loved ones! Till next time, take care!There is not one blade of grass, there is no colour in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice. ~ John Calvin

Friday, 15 March 2019

Time is a great storyteller. ~ old Irish proverbWelcome, Lassies, St Paddy's Day is upon us and I thought it a good time to bring out my green transferware again. I did a post a few months ago with these dishes but I love them and they're green, so why not?

Hills as green as emeraldsCover the countrysideLakes as blue as sapphires –And Ireland's special prideAnd rivers that shine like silverMake Ireland look so fair –But the friendliness of her peopleIs the richest treasure there. ~unknownIt's true about the Irish being friendly. My hubby has a lot of Irish in him and he's one of the friendliest guys you will ever meet. His whole family is like that. One big boisterous lot, they are! I remember the first time I met them, my middle hurt from laughing so hard. After all these years, he still makes me laugh and laughter is good medicine, as we all know. I'm a wee bit Irish but I'm also English and German, as well as a bit Scottish too.

May joy and peace surround you,Contentment latch your door,And happiness be with you now,And bless you evermore. ~ an Irish BlessingI made my hubby some scones yesterday. I had some fruit left over from making my fruit cakes and decided it would be a good way to use it up.

Spicy fruit scones with an almond glaze will be our treat for tea time today.Would like like to join me? I don't own any shamrock china although I do have an Irish cup my son gifted me with one year.

I love these green cups and saucers made in England. They are Staffordshire and with their green pastoral motif, they are perfect for St Patrick's Day.

Green is such a fresh and beautiful colour which signifies bothSt Patrick's DayandSpring.I am longing to see green outside my window. I can see the snow going down day after day so I know it won't be long. No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. ~Hal Borland

I wish you... a warm cup of tea by the fire.

Laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,

And all that your heart might desire. ~ an Irish Blessing

I had to turn my setting away from the windows because too much light was making the pictures dark.

Bright yellow tulips add a lovely pop of colour and a whisper of springtime. I have a yearning for some Irish soda bread so I may make that tomorrow. We usually eat dinner out on Sundays and I'm sure Hubby will have his corned beef and cabbage. What will you be having on St Paddy's Day? Happy St Patrick's Day, dear friends!May the friendships you make,Be those which endure,And all of your grey cloudsBe small ones for sure.And trusting in HimTo Whom we all pray,May a song fill your heart,Every step of the way. ~Irish Blessing

Wednesday, 6 March 2019

It is always safe to dream of spring. For it is sure to come; and if it be not just as we have pictured it, it will be infinitely sweeter. ~ LM Montgomery - The Story GirlWhen the sun is up earlier and higher in the sky; when there are only a couple of weeks of winter left, one begins to notice signs. There is only a certain time of year that the sun light hits the crystal finial on top of our lamp in the living room and a prism effect reflects on the wall behind it.

The driveway is bare most days now and the ice and snow are slowly going down. We have been having snow storms once a week, in fact we had a big one on Monday, but I know the newly fallen snow isn't going to stay around very long. March is here! Winter is almost over.

At the feeders, one can see the goldfinches are beginning to change from their olive feathers into their bright yellow plumage. That is a good sign!When I see these signs, my heart feels lighter and there's a song in my heart because I know Spring is coming! I understand completely why the young calves, when they are let loose from the barns, are frisky and kicking up their heels in glee. Spring is upon us! The dictionary defines spring fever as a feeling of excitement and restlessness at the beginning of spring. It is any number of mood, physical, or behavioural changes which may be experienced coinciding with the arrival of spring.There is a definite change in people's countenances. It's been a very long, cold winter and we're all ready for spring here on PEI.When I took the Christmas tree down in January, I left the mantel decorated but switched out the poinsettias for roses.

I will be packing this away next week as I will be decorating for springtime. We will miss the soft glow of the lights in the room. It was always nice to sip our tea and coffee in there with the glow of the mantel's lighting. But spring is coming and a fresh new arrangement on the mantel will be so welcome.My poinsettia is still doing well although it is thought of as a Christmas plant. The bright pop of pink in the room has been enjoyed over the winter months and with spring coming, it still looks lovely.

With St Patrick's Day on the way, I sneaked a little green into my tea time with this teapot. It has a soft green background.

I am having tea by myself today because Hubby is working. I decided to have some cheesecake with it. Isn't it pretty? Strawberry swirl cheesecake.

Tea is like a hug and a handshake; something about it warms friendships and inspires confidences. ~ Victoria magazine

I would love for you to join me! It's no trouble to set out another cup and another slice of dessert. Before I go, I want to thank all of you dear ladies who have prayed for my son, Jeff. He is having a rough go of it and his concussion isn't getting any better. He will know more what is going on once the results of the ct scan come back.

Meanwhile, he is very dizzy from the vertigo which bothers him even when he tries to sleep. When he goes out for an appointment, someone has to drive him. It is sad to see my big strapping boy so helpless. Bless his heart!If you want to change the world, go home and love your family. ~ Mother TeresaThank you for your visit and do take care. Enjoy the rest of your week and God bless you!

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Welcome to Rose Chintz Cottage

Hello! My name is Sandi and I am delighted you have stopped by. I hope you will find friendship here as I share about my faith, my family, and romantic cottage decorating, as well as my collection of tea things. My yellow door is always open and I would love for you to leave a comment so I'll know you were here. I enjoy making friends so please hang around for a while and let's get to know one another. God bless you!

"Live in such a way that the world will be glad you did." ~ Max Lucado

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Christmas Pudding

Please check out my Christmas blog ~ CHRISTMAS PUDDING.

"Some people go through life trying to find out what the world holds for them only to find out too late that it's what they bring to the world that really counts." ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery

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You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. ~ C.S. Lewis

About Me

I live a happy life in Green Gables country with my sweet hubby who is a retired pastor. We have three wonderful sons and five darling grandchildren. I love being a home maker and I thrive on bringing beauty and comfort into my home for my family and friends to enjoy. Life is made even richer by my faith in God who has taught me, "The joy of the Lord is my strength." I am so happy you have stopped by and I welcome you through my yellow door.

Rose Chintz Cottage

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"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon - instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today. " ~ Dale Carnegie

Lady on the beach - by Danish painter Michael Peter Ancher

Rose Chintz and Lilacs

My Roses and teapots are two of my favourite things

"Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul." ~ Henry Ward Beecher

The Velveteen Rabbit

"Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't become ugly, except to people who don't understand. "~ The Velveteen Rabbit

Thank you for visiting Rose Chintz Cottage. Please come back soon as I love the company.

Lord, we know that our life on this earth is so short compared to eternity. Bless us, fill us, use us to tell of Your love and goodness as much as we can and for as long as we can until we see You. Amen.